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ISCR Case 22-02293 — CASE

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ISCR Case 22-02293

A decided public DOHA case, shown for research — not advice or a prediction.

Case Profile
Decision Date4/3/2024
Statusdenied
LevelHEARING
TypeSTANDARD ISCR
Participants
Applicant Representation: Pro Se
Judge: Carol G. Ricciardello
Government Counsel: Nicole A. Smith
Case Summary
The applicant in this case was a 29-year-old individual who had served in the Army National Guard and was employed since October 2021. The Department of Defense issued a Statement of Reasons (SOR) citing security concerns under Guideline F, related to financial considerations. The SOR detailed multiple delinquent debts totaling approximately $32,195, which the applicant initially denied but later admitted in his response to the FORM.
The applicant acknowledged the debts listed in the SOR, including a car loan, student loans, and various other financial obligations. He explained that his financial difficulties stemmed from job loss and other circumstances, but he did not provide sufficient evidence of proactive measures to resolve these debts. Although he mentioned entering a settlement agreement with a debt relief company, he failed to address several debts listed in the SOR and did not demonstrate a clear plan for repayment or financial counseling.
The administrative judge ruled against the applicant, concluding that he had not mitigated the security concerns related to his financial issues. The judge emphasized that the applicant's financial irresponsibility raised questions about his reliability and trustworthiness, which are critical for access to classified information. The decision ultimately denied the applicant's eligibility for a security clearance based on the evidence presented.
Guidelines Evaluated
- Guideline FFinancial Considerations · Against Applicant
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Case Headnote

ISCR Case No. 22-02293

deniedApr 3, 2024· Hon. Carol G. Ricciardello· hearing

Summary

A 29-year-old male applicant was denied a security clearance under Guideline F (Financial Considerations) due to unresolved debts totaling approximately $32,195. The Statement of Reasons detailed multiple financial obligations, including a $12,699 debt for a repossessed car from March 2018, and several delinquent student loans amounting to $9,066, $4,208, and $1,045 respectively. Other debts included a $1,030 cell phone service bill, a $622 charged-off credit card account, and a $576 satellite television service debt. The applicant also disputed a $1,844 medical bill, a $921 debt, and a $184 bank debt.

The applicant acknowledged these debts and entered into a settlement agreement with a debt relief company. However, the decision noted that he failed to demonstrate sufficient efforts to resolve all his financial obligations, specifically by not addressing all delinquent debts within his settlement agreement.

Ultimately, the applicant's financial issues raised concerns regarding his reliability and trustworthiness, leading to the denial of his security clearance.

Why the Applicant Was Denied

The applicant admitted to owing multiple debts totaling approximately $32,195.
The applicant failed to demonstrate sufficient efforts to resolve his debts, including not addressing all delinquent debts in his settlement agreement.
The applicant's financial issues raised concerns about his reliability and trustworthiness.

Conditions Referenced

Disqualifying

AG ¶ 19(b)raisedInability to Satisfy Debts
AG ¶ 19(c)raisedA History of Not Meeting Financial Obligations

Key Rule Quoted

“Failure to live within one’s means, satisfy debts, and meet financial obligations may indicate poor self-control, lack of judgment, or unwillingness to abide by rules and regulations, all of which can raise questions about an individual’s reliability, trustworthiness, and ability to protect classified or sensitive information.”
— AG ¶ 18

Procedural Posture

SOR issuedDec 20, 2022
Answer filedFeb 17, 2023Applicant elected to have the case decided on the written record.
Hearing held—Decision made based on written record.
Decision dateApr 3, 2024

Cite For

Failure to Mitigate Financial Concerns Under Guideline F
Impact of Unresolved Debts on Security Clearance Eligibility
Importance of Demonstrating Good-faith Efforts to Resolve Financial Obligations

Editorial summary generated for research. Not legal advice; not a prediction. Verify against the full decision before relying on any quoted language.

Standardized Decision Profile

SEAD-4 Guideline F · descriptive summary of a decided case

Posture: Decision on RecordDecided: denied

The judge found multiple financial concerns under Guideline F, including delinquent student loans, a repossessed vehicle, and various other debts. The applicant's claims of settlement agreements and willingness to pay were not sufficient to mitigate the concerns, leading to a decision against the applicant.

¶	Allegation	Finding	Type	Response	Disqualifying (¶19)	Mitigating applied (¶20)	Mitigation
1.a	Applicant has a debt of $12,699 for a car purchased in March 2018, which was repossessed after he fell behind on payments. $12,699	Against Applicant	Auto Loan Debt	Denied	—	—	—
1.b	Applicant has delinquent student loans totaling $9,066. $9,066	Against Applicant	Student Loan Debt	Admitted	—	—	—
1.c	Applicant has delinquent student loans totaling $4,208. $4,208	Against Applicant	Student Loan Debt	Admitted	—	—	—
1.d	Applicant has a medical bill of $1,844 that he disputes. $1,844	Against Applicant	Medical Debt	Admitted	—	—	—
1.e	Applicant has a delinquent student loan of $1,045. $1,045	Against Applicant	Student Loan Debt	Admitted	—	—	—
1.f	Applicant has a debt of $1,030 for cell phone service. $1,030	Against Applicant	Utility or Phone Debt	Admitted	—	—	—
1.g	Applicant disputes a debt of $921. $921	Against Applicant	Unspecified Financial	Admitted	—	—	—
1.h	Applicant has a charged-off credit card account of $622. $622	Against Applicant	Credit Card Debt	Admitted	—	—	—
1.i	Applicant has a debt of $576 for satellite television service. $576	Against Applicant	Unspecified Financial	Admitted	—	—	—
1.j	Applicant disputes a debt of $184 to a bank. $184	Against Applicant	Unspecified Financial	Admitted	—	—	—

Descriptive standardized rendering of a decided public case (Guideline F). The verbatim source decision is shown in full below.

Full decision

The complete, official text — footnotes and signatures included — is in the original PDF.